NewBirdDude Posted March 30, 2018 Share Posted March 30, 2018 So I'm looking at a 2012 trans amber standard. The usual dead fake giveaways are not present. Overall the guitar looks great. It looks real to me but I'd rather have some more experienced eyes on the job. It looks like the owner swapped the tuners to a front-locking kluson? I may be wrong. Other trans amber standard 2012's I've seen online have grovers. Swapped the knobs, maybe. It also looks like he swapped the nut, just based on the color, but again I could be wrong. No back of the headstock pics but I can get those. The gentleman was really nice, he's got some other serious gear for sale (mesa Mk iV and an LP traditional with a home relic job, i think). edit: Forgot to mention the ad states he put in '57 zebra pups. So those are also not stock. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vince Q Posted March 30, 2018 Share Posted March 30, 2018 What kind of tuners are on it? I don't think I've ever seen a LP with open split-shaft tuners like that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NewBirdDude Posted March 30, 2018 Author Share Posted March 30, 2018 What kind of tuners are on it? I don't think I've ever seen a LP with open split-shaft tuners like that. My guess was an aftermarket front-locking Kluson type tuner. I know John Mann makes them but he's usually more popular with the PRS crowd. And the shaft on those is black I believe just like PRS lockers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leonard McCoy Posted March 30, 2018 Share Posted March 30, 2018 Another mutiliated, Frankensteined Gibson that won't sell for much? Get those back of the headstock pics if you're really interested. I would pass up on it, though—there are a bazillion other, better Les Paul offers out there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pippy Posted March 30, 2018 Share Posted March 30, 2018 Looks very real to me. No red flags at all. Nut might well have been changed although I have seen some Gibsons with a black nut. Similarly some Les Pauls have come with those tuners so I wouldn't worry about those. They might have been changed but no biggie if they have. I don't happen to like them but that's neither here nor there. Knobs are probably swapped but easily changed back. Straplocks are fitted so if you decide to buy make sure you get the 'other half' of the units. '57s are superb p'ups. If you don't like the Zebra look it's easy to pop a couple of covers on them. If the guy selling is the original owner ask if he has the stock parts and that includes the (removed) pickguard. Rear of head would be good to see but I can't see there being much doubt that it's the real deal. Pip. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StijnV Posted March 30, 2018 Share Posted March 30, 2018 The guitar looks original to me too. Machine heads and nut were probably exchanged indeed and covers were probably taken off. Don't see the reason also for him stringing the strings over the stopbar? Anyway; this model was issued for the Uk in 2012, it looks like that one: •AAAFlamed Top (On Premium Plus skus) •CompoundRadius Rosewood Fingerboard •60sNeck Profile •New“Modern”WeightRelief •Switchcraft® output jack/ Locking Grover KidneyTuners •DualBurstbucker Pro Pickups/Tone Pros TOM and Stop Bar •2Push/Pull Volume –Splitsfrom humbucker tosingle coil. –Improvedfrequency tuned coil tapping for a fatter single coil tone, and better outputbalance. •2Push/Pull Tone –PhaseSwitch –PureBypass takes the bridge pickup straight out the jack. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pin Posted March 30, 2018 Share Posted March 30, 2018 I think it is a nice looking guitar and nothing odd about it at all except for that "wrap over" arrangement of the strings on the stop bar. I'd have the strings off in the first minute and put a new set on properly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
01GT eibach Posted March 30, 2018 Share Posted March 30, 2018 ... nothing odd about it at all except for that "wrap over" arrangement of the strings on the stop bar. I'd have the strings off in the first minute and put a new set on properly... Agreed to the sentiment above. And you may want to check the intonation after the string change. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pippy Posted March 30, 2018 Share Posted March 30, 2018 Looking at it again I think those tuners are the 'front-bit' of a set of the G-Force tuning system. This possibility (and the fitting of said system) might explain the lack of rear-of-peghead pictures. StijnV? What are your thoughts? Pip. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Megafrog Posted March 30, 2018 Share Posted March 30, 2018 Looking at it again I think those tuners are the 'front-bit' of a set of the G-Force tuning system. This possibility (and the fitting of said system) might explain the lack of rear-of-peghead pictures. StijnV? What are your thoughts? Pip. I think you are right, they look like the tuners on either a Min E-Tune or a 2015 G-Force system. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
loversmoon Posted March 30, 2018 Share Posted March 30, 2018 those tuners look to me to be the G Force system. Looks exactly like the ones I recently took off of my SG. I happen to love the zebra 57's. Great pups. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NewBirdDude Posted March 31, 2018 Author Share Posted March 31, 2018 You guys are good. Here’s the Imgur link for the pic of the posterior head stock. https://imgur.com/a/BGe3u Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Farnsbarns Posted March 31, 2018 Share Posted March 31, 2018 Another mutiliated, Frankensteined Gibson that won't sell for much? Get those back of the headstock pics if you're really interested. I would pass up on it, though—there are a bazillion other, better Les Paul offers out there. Unless I'm mistaken we don't know the price. I can see nothing wrong with it at all and it might be a knockout player as far as we know. Looks great and personally I can see no reason to pass up on it. Have I missed something here which makes you think you'd pass? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3chordmerchant Posted March 31, 2018 Share Posted March 31, 2018 I think it is a nice looking guitar and nothing odd about it at all except for that "wrap over" arrangement of the strings on the stop bar. I'd have the strings off in the first minute and put a new set on properly. The "overwrap" here might have been necessary if the stopbar tailpiece is "bottomed out" to keep the strings off of the back of the ABR bridge. Just a thought and a "prof" setup can relieve that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NewBirdDude Posted April 1, 2018 Author Share Posted April 1, 2018 If you were interested, what would you pay for this? He said he would throw the original Grovers back on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pippy Posted April 1, 2018 Share Posted April 1, 2018 If you were interested, what would you pay for this? He said he would throw the original Grovers back on. Best way to get a rough idea is to check completed listings of eBay sales wherever you live. Here in the UK the asking price for an all-original 2012 Standard is approx. £1,500. Selling price might be £1,400. Non-original parts fitted drop the price another 10%-15%. So say £1,400 if it comes with original case and all original hardware included. Perhaps £1,250 if he doesn't have all the original bits? Pip. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Farnsbarns Posted April 1, 2018 Share Posted April 1, 2018 I'd say if it has the original tuners then all it's missing is the nut. If it plays particularly well, and feels particularly good it would probably be worth paying the going rate for an all original one and frankly, if it doesn't, pass entirely. However, if you negotiate down then great. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pippy Posted April 1, 2018 Share Posted April 1, 2018 I'd say if it has the original tuners then all it's missing is the nut... Nit-picking, I know, but the p'ups have been swapped. Personally I'd have the currently-fitted '57s every day of the week over the BBs but you know how some folks are about originality? I'd also never want Grovers. Horrible things. In my shoes I'd take the guitar as-is, sell the Min-E-Tune / G-Force on eBay and get a set of Klusons with the cash... Nice guitar! Pip. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kaicho8888 Posted April 2, 2018 Share Posted April 2, 2018 Looks very nice, looks also like my trans-amber 2013. If the price is right for you... get it!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NewBirdDude Posted April 11, 2018 Author Share Posted April 11, 2018 Paid 1700 cash for it. Asking price was 2100. Maybe overpaid by 100ish just due to the condition. There are some dings in the top and finish bubbles on headstock and other places. I restrung it so the strings don't wrap around the tailpiece anymore. Put 10's on it. Honestly, I really dig the g-force. It's really easy to tune and restring. I may have trouble with alternate tunings in the future but we'll see. Very figured top. The knobs are smooth but a bit stiff to turn relative to my PRS and strat. Is this normal, I haven't played with many les pauls? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IanHenry Posted April 11, 2018 Share Posted April 11, 2018 Congratulations on your new guitar, hope you have many years enjoyment together Regards, Ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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